My 93-page senior thesis at Truman State describes the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic on Kirksville, Missouri. I assessed the pandemic both qualitatively and quantitatively.

I transcribed pertinent stories from the University's microfilm archives of three newspaper periodicals published in Kirksville at the time — Kirksville Daily Express, Kirksville State Normal School Index, and Kirksville Journal. 
From these archives, I reconstructed how the pandemic affected Kirksville and its most significant institutions during this period. I follow the narrative from the point of view of major industries, educational institutions, the city's medical professionals, and the city's administration. I also discuss how the severity of the disease in Kirksville compares to outbreaks in surrounding areas, as well as the state of Missouri as a whole and the United States.

I catalogued all 614 death certificates from Adair County in 1918 and 1919, available from the Missouri Secretary of State's office, to track the influenza by month and to investigate which demographics were most affected. Then, I calculated what percentage of the population died and describe the most typical victim of the disease.

Top: The spreadsheet in which I catalogued the 614 death certificates in Adair County during 1918-1919.
Above Left: The death certificate of Kirksville resident Harry Allen. Allen, 29, died of the influenza outbreak during September 1918. (Example of primary source material)
Above Right: A microfilmed Kirksville Daily Express newspaper page from December 1918 detailing the effects of the pandemic in Kirksville. (Example of primary source material) 
 

I presented my thesis at a public conference on Dec. 7, 2014.
My thesis has been accepted as a candidate for departmental honors, which will be awarded May 2015, if selected. The project currently is under review for publication by the Missouri State Historical Review.